Liquid-liquid-liquid three-phase continuous countercurrent extraction device and use thereof

Abstract

A liquid-liquid-liquid three-phase continuous and countercurrent extraction apparatus comprises a three-phase-mixing chamber, a three-liquid-flow settler, and a two-phase-mixing chamber; a liquid-flow control separator placed in the three-liquid-flow settler aims to flexibly regulate the directions of three liquid flows in the three-phase system by different control separator combinations to achieve either a countercurrent operation of the top-layered phase with the middle-bottom two-layered mixtures, or a countercurrent operation of the top-middle two-layered mixtures with the bottom-layered phase; and a method of using the same, relating to extraction and separation field of chemical technology.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An extraction system for liquid-liquid-liquid three phase continuous and countercurrent extraction, comprising a three-phase-mixing chamber, a three-liquid-flow settler, and a two-phase-mixing chamber, characterized in that:
 the three-phase-mixing chamber ( 1 ) comprising a three-phase mixing compartment (a), a three-phase overflow compartment (b), and a three-phase conflux compartment (c), wherein clap-boards installed between the three-phase mixing compartment (a) and the three-phase overflow compartment (b), and between the three-phase mixing compartment (a) and the three-phase conflux compartment (c); the three-phase mixing compartment (a) comprising a self-pumping stirrer ( 6 ) connected with a speed continuously adjustable stirring motor through a stirring shaft; independent first liquid flow entrance ( 7 ) and second liquid flow entrance ( 8 ) mounted at the lower parts of the two sides of the three-phase conflux compartment (c), in which the first liquid flow entrance ( 7 ) is directly connected with the three-phase conflux compartment (c), while the second liquid flow entrance ( 8 ) is connected with the three-phase mixing compartment (a) through a pipe; on the central of the clap-board between three-phase mixing compartment (a) and three-phase conflux compartment (c), independent first diversion orifice ( 9 ) and second diversion orifice ( 10 ) are connected with three-phase conflux compartment (c) and the second flow entrance ( 8 ), respectively; on the side of three-phase overflow compartment (b) on the top of the three-phase-mixing chamber ( 1 ) and close to the three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ), an overflow weir ( 11 ) connected with the three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ); 
 a vertical return-flow clap-board ( 12 ) parallel to the vertical clap-board of the three-phase-mixing chamber ( 1 ) installed on the side of the three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ) that is close to the overflow weir ( 11 ); a horizontal clap-board ( 13 ) perpendicular to the vertical return-flow clap-board connected to the vertical clap-board of the three-phase mixing chamber below the vertical return-flow clap-board; an interspace between the bottom of the vertical return-flow clap-board ( 12 ) and the horizontal clap-board ( 13 ) under the vertical return-flow clap-board ( 12 ); 
 on the side of the three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ) that is close to the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ), a three-phase liquid flow separator control compartment (d) in which two different types in need of pluggable three-phase liquid flow first control separator ( 4 ) or second control separator ( 5 ) installed and fastened by a localizer ( 14 ); a liquid flow exit ( 15 ) being at the bottom of three-phase liquid flow separator control compartment (d) on the bottom side of the vertical clap-board of the three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ), and a rectangular liquid flow exit ( 16 ) installed on the side of the vertical clap-board of the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ) close to the three-phase liquid flow separator control compartment (d); the first control separator ( 4 ) being used when the lightest top phase of the three-phase liquid flows needs to be separated from the middle-bottom two-layered mixtures, and the a rectangular liquid flow exit ( 20 ) being installed with the same height and width as that of the exit ( 16 ) on the side under the first control separator ( 4 ); the second control separator ( 5 ) being used when the heaviest bottom phase of the three-phase liquid flows needs to be separated from the top-middle phase, and no exit on the side of the second control separator ( 5 ), the height H of the second control separator ( 5 ) being half of the height L of the exit ( 16 ); when first control separator ( 4 ) being used, the top phase educed out from the liquid flow exit ( 15 ) at the bottom of the three-phase liquid flow separator control compartment (d) on the top of the first control separator ( 4 ), while the middle-bottom two-layered mixtures passing through the liquid flow exit ( 16 ) on side of the vertical clap-board from the liquid flow exit ( 20 ) on the side under the first control separator ( 4 ) into the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ); when second control separator ( 5 ) being used, the bottom phase educed out from the liquid flow exit ( 15 ) at the bottom of the three-phase liquid flow separator control compartment (d) under the second control separator ( 5 ), while the top-middle phase passing through the liquid flow exit ( 16 ) on side of the vertical clap-board on the top of the second control separator ( 5 ) into the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ); 
 a stirrer ( 17 ) connected with a speed continuously adjustable stirring motor through a stirring shaft in two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ); an overflow weir ( 18 ) on the side of the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ); the height of the overflow weir ( 18 ) reaching at the middle of the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ); a liquid flow exit ( 19 ) being below the overflow weir ( 18 ); 
 a return-flow clap-board ( 21 ) parallel to the vertical clap-board with the same width and length as that of the rectangular liquid flow exit ( 16 ) installed on the side of the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ) that is close to the three-phase liquid flow separator control compartment (d) in the three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ), at the liquid flow exit ( 16 ) on side of the vertical clap-board of the two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ), an interspace being between the return-flow clap-board ( 21 ) and liquid flow exit ( 16 ); 
 wherein the ratio of length of three-phase-mixing chamber ( 1 ), three-liquid-flow settler ( 2 ), and two-phase-mixing chamber ( 3 ) is 1:5:1; and the ratio of volume of the three chambers is also 1:5:1 when their widths and heights are the same.